Corporate Gift for Employees

[ken0042]

How do you get a $40 gift card with a $35 budget?

Something I think would do well is something like nice beer or wine glasses. Something that a lot of people would use, but not something you would want to spend $35 on a pair of.

[TheyCallMeBruce]

Originally Posted by ken0042

How do you get a $40 gift card with a $35 budget?

Something I think would do well is something like nice beer or wine glasses. Something that a lot of people would use, but not something you would want to spend $35 on a pair of.

I didn't think the $35 budget was hard budget. Maybe they can afford a bit of a lead way. Even if it's a $35 gift card would be cool. Why not that instead?

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by ken0042

How do you get a $40 gift card with a $35 budget?

Something I think would do well is something like nice beer or wine glasses. Something that a lot of people would use, but not something you would want to spend $35 on a pair of.

I was just going to post this. I got two nice glass beer steins from the Flames when I was on the hothouse list, with the flames logo etched on them. Something like only with your logo might work, and should be doable within the budget.

[troutman]

I knew an IT company that designed panties with their logo on them.

[East Coast Flame]

Originally Posted by rd_aaron

I was going to suggest a gym/duffel bag. Almost everyone would get use out of it.

Agreed. This is the only company gift that I have ever gotten any use out of.

[Regular_John]

A few years ago I ended up with about $250 in gift cards ($75 of which was Starbucks) from various managers/dept heads around xmas time. Needless to say I'd have rather had the cash, even if it was taxed.

/cool story bro

[Minnie]

Thank you for not doing jackets. My husband gets at least a couple of those per year, and I just cleared out at least 8, and shoved them in a clothing recycle bin. No one wears them and they just take up closet space.

He sort of gets a xmas gift, I guess. They pay for almost the entirety of a motel room for the xmas party, if you want one, and we end up only paying the tax which seems to work out to about $12. They do door prizes at the party, which is nice. There are some cheap ones and some really pricey ones. If you don't attend the xmas party, you get a grocery store gift card, which frankly, I prefer over the party. We are only going to the party this year because it's his work anniversary this year and they recognize them at the party with some plaque or something. On the actual day of the work anniversary, they give out a bottle of wine to the employee.

He gets enough stuff throughout the year that we always end up kind of glad he doesn't really get more stuff at xmas. The only thing out of everything suggested that we'd probably use would be the gym bag. Everything else would get tossed or sent to the recycle bins.

[MacDaddy77]

$35 gift card to willow park wine and spirits

$35 gift card to Empire Theaters

those are good ones i've gotten over the years

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

I thoughts items like gifts cards, with no cash value or a value less than $500 are not taxed.

http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/bsnss/tp.../plcy-eng.html

Cash and near-cash gifts or awards are always a taxable benefit for the employee. A near-cash item is one that can be easily converted to cash such as a gift certificate, gift card, gold nuggets, securities, or stocks.

So, I guess a gold nugget with the company logo on it is out of the question.



The problem with putting your logo on anything is that it's one of two things: something they can use at work, or something they can't use at work (duh).

If it's something they can use at work, then it comes across as you turning office supplies into a gift. It's like the cliched clueless husband who buys his wife a new iron for their anniversary. You might as well sign the card "To Worker Unit #54, you are a valuable cog in our machine. Here is some grease to help you continue to function within acceptable parameters." Even if that's not your intention, that's how some people will take it.

Also, if you give everyone the same thing, and it's something they're likely to use at work, within six months, half of them will have lost theirs and the other half will have had theirs stolen by the first half.


If it's something they can't use at work, it can be perceived as you trying to "brand" them at home (as has already been mentioned). Some people absolutely despise anything with their employer's logo on it. One year, my employer gave everyone a set of glasses with the company name on them. I was talking to one of my co-workers the next time at work, and she said that she went home from the Christmas party, lit her fireplace and smashed the glasses onto the fire. It seemed like an extreme over-reaction to me, but that's the way some people are, I guess.

[MoneyGuy]

Originally Posted by Regulator75

The gift of not being fired right before Christmas?

Ah, the gift that keeps on giving.

[GP_Matt]

We did the beer glasses last year which were nice but a bit big. I don't think I have actually used mine yet though.
As for the logo'd stuff it sounds like a lot of you are against it so I will take that to heart. I don't personally like company clothing although hoodies are always popular.
I like the gym bag idea as well as food.
Half our office does work outside but all their gear has to be FR which would be wasted on the office staff.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by getbak

If it's something they can't use at work, it can be perceived as you trying to "brand" them at home (as has already been mentioned). Some people absolutely despise anything with their employer's logo on it. One year, my employer gave everyone a set of glasses with the company name on them. I was talking to one of my co-workers the next time at work, and she said that she went home from the Christmas party, lit her fireplace and smashed the glasses onto the fire. It seemed like an extreme over-reaction to me, but that's the way some people are, I guess.

That seems a little crazy. If someone doesn't want it, just throw it out. It's not like the gift was implantable RFID tags for them to monitor you with or something.

[FlamingLonghorn]

Originally Posted by GP_Matt

We did the beer glasses last year which were nice but a bit big. I don't think I have actually used mine yet though.
As for the logo'd stuff it sounds like a lot of you are against it so I will take that to heart. I don't personally like company clothing although hoodies are always popular.
I like the gym bag idea as well as food.
Half our office does work outside but all their gear has to be FR which would be wasted on the office staff.

Along the lines with gym bag could be laptop bag especially if you have company issued laptops. I know when we get company issued laptops they come with that generic crappy bag, so a nicer bag is appreciated.

[MoneyGuy]

I know there are folks here who employ their spouse so a little tax tip for you. You can do this for any employee but it's particularly useful when your spouse works for your business.

You can buy an employee one gift per year up to, I think, $200 value. Buy a gift for your spouse and you can deduct it and he/she gets a tax-free item.

I do this every year with my wife, who works in my office. Set of earrings, check. Westjet voucher for an upcoming trip, check. Chapters gift card, check. Best not to give a restaurant gift card as food and entertainment are only half deductible.

[undercoverbrother]

If you are in GP, what about touque/mitts/glove or scarf.

[Temporary_User]

A hoodie would be a good bet to get everyone at that budget.

What about skipping the gift and getting something for the office that everyone would enjoy?
http://www.starbucks.com/business/office-coffee
I like office's that have the interactive cup. Eliminates having to brew so often and gives everyone a choice of coffee they like.

[Nyah]

I'm always a big fan of the Starbucks/Second Cup/not Tim Hortons gift cards. Another thing my company did this year was high quality water bottles & gym bags. They've also done really good travel coffee mugs & steak knife sets. Those are the things I use: everything else eventually goes to the Salvation Army.

[Derek Sutton]

Membership in the "Jelly of the Month" club.

[Cheese]

I have received a company backpack and briefcase and like both. I have to lug my laptop around with corp brochures etc and both have been used effectively. You also get the pleasure of knowing your employees are using branded items when visiting clients.

[GGG]

One company my friend worked for got a whole bunch of wine and beer labeled with the corporate logo. The beer was awful but the wine was good. That could be a good gift.

I am anti stuff, beer mugs, sweaters, fleece jackets etc, I have too many of. Get something consumable. Although I do like your idea of smartwool sock as everyone will use socks and they are pretty pricey to buy yourself.

Just the $35 worth of something that I don't get to pick for myself and isnt my style just leads to clutter in my house, office or recycle bin.